Electrical power generation for header systems from a combine backshaft

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are described for providing a local electrical power source at a header of a combine harvester. An alternator is mechanically coupled to a header backshaft. The header backshaft is mechanically coupled to a drive mechanism of the combine harvester to cause rotation of the header backshaft which, in turn, causes the alternator to generate electrical power. A power supply circuit transferred electrical power from the alternator to one or more electric devices mounted on the header. In some implementations, the header does not include any physical cables between the combine and the header.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to electrical power systems for machinessuch as a combine harvester are coupled to a working element such as aheader.

SUMMARY

Combine harvesters are often coupled to a header that provides a workingelement. Mechanical power from the combine harvester is transferred tothe header by rotating a backshaft. The rotation of the backshaft, inturn, drives the working element of the header. However, because theheader is physically separate from the combine, any electrical power ordata signals must be transferred to the header. In some implementations,this is done through a multi-pin coupling connector that may be securedby a harness. The harness, the connector, and the cable must beconstructed to withstand the adverse operating environment of thecombine harvester. As such, the connector cable might be manufactured ofa high density material which, in turn, provides for a lower currentcapacity. Furthermore, the use of such a connector coupling limitscustomization, configuration, and growth of the combine header becausethe number of “pins” or data channels in the coupling cable is limitedto a defined number (e.g., a 31-pin coupling).

Various implementations described herein provide for increasedintelligence, capability, and customizability of a header by providingan electrical power source on the header itself. In particular, analternator mounted on the header converts mechanical power from therotating backshaft into electrical power that can be used to power oneor more electrical devices positions on the header. With a local powersource on the header itself, a controller can be incorporated into theheader that provides additional functions on the header itself thatcurrently rely on power or control from the combine harvester. Thiselectrical power source can be used, for example, to operate multiplelights positioned along the header, provide greater intelligence bypowering microcontroller-based systems mounted on the header, and tooperate electrical motors to control various functions of the header. Aheader controller that receives electrical power from the alternator canalso be adapted to control the mechanical interface between the combineand the header and adjust a ground cutting height based on positionfeedback.

In one embodiment, the invention provides an electrical power system fora header of a combine harvester. An alternator is mechanically coupledto a header backshaft. The header backshaft is mechanically coupled to adrive mechanism of the combine harvester to cause rotation of the headerbackshaft which, in turn, causes the alternator to generate electricalpower. A power supply circuit transferred electrical power from thealternator to one or more electric devices mounted on the header. Insome implementations, the header does not include any physical cablesbetween the combine and the header.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of providingpower to an electric device mounted on a header of a combine harvester.A header backshaft, that is mechanically coupled to a drive mechanism ofthe combine harvester, is rotated by the drive mechanism. Electricalpower is generated by an alternator positioned on the header andmechanically coupled to the header backshaft such that rotation of theheader backshafter is converted to electrical power by the alternator.The electrical power generated by the alternator is then transferring toone or more electric devices mounted on the header using a power supplycircuit.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a side-view of a combine harvester equipped with a firstheader according to one embodiment.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a coupling between the header and thecombine in the embodiment of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a power supply system for the header in theembodiment of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 is a front-view of a combine harvester equipped with a differentheader according to another embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways.

FIG. 1A illustrates a combine harvester 10 including a vehicle chassisor frame 14, a feeder throat or feederhouse 18, and a harvester header22 for cutting and gathering crop plants (not shown). The frame 14includes an operator cab 26 and traction elements 30 (e.g., wheels) forsupporting and moving the vehicle frame 14 with respect to the ground.The frame 14 includes a first or forward end 38 and a second or rear end42, and a chassis axis or frame axis 46 extends between the forward end38 and the rear end 42. The feederhouse 18 is supported on the forwardend 38 of the frame 14 and may be pivoted relative to the vehicle frame14 by an actuator 50 (e.g., a fluid cylinder).

The header 22 is supported by the feederhouse 18 and extendstransversely to the frame 14. As used herein, “transverse” generallyrefers to an orientation that is perpendicular to the frame axis 14 ofthe harvester 10 and that extends laterally-between a first side of theharvester 10 and a second side of the harvester 10.

In the illustrated embodiment, the header 22 is a draper including acutting bar 54 and rotating drum 58; in other embodiments, the header 22may include another type of implement depending on the type of crop tobe harvested. After the crop is cut by the cutting bar 54 and gatheredon the header 22, it is moved along the feederhouse 18 by an elevator 62(e.g., a conveyor) toward a threshing mechanism 70 supported on theframe 14.

FIG. 1B shows the feederhouse 18 of the combine harvester 10 with theheader 22 removed. As shown in FIG. 1B, the feederhouse 18 is couplableto the header 22 by a backshaft 101. The backshaft 101 is rotated by amechanical drive mechanism of the combine harvester 10. For example, invarious implementations, the backshaft 101 may be coupled by a belt ordrive chain to a combustion engine, a transmission, or one of therotating traction elements (e.g., wheels) of the combine harvester 10. Acoupler 103 is also positioned on the feederhouse 18 and is coupled tothe header 22 by a cable to for data communication and, in someimplementations, to provide electrical power from the combine harvester10 to the header 22.

However, in some implementations, the backshaft 101 of the header iscoupled to an alternator mounted on the header 22 to generate electricalpower from the rotation of the backshaft 101 and to provide a source ofelectrical power on the header 22 itself. As further illustrated in FIG.2, the combine harvester 10 includes a combine mechanical drive element201 and a main combine controller 203. The mechanical drive 201 of thecombine harvester 10 is mechanically coupled to the header backshaft101. In some implementations, the resulting rotation of the backshaft101 drives the rotation of a header working element 207 such as, forexample, the rotating drum 58 in the example of FIG. 1A. The rotation ofthe backshaft 101 also transfers mechanical power through a gear box 209to an alternator 211 mounted on the header 22. As such, the alternator211 generates electrical power from the rotation of the backshaft 101.

In some implementations, the operation of the alternator 211 iscontrolled by an alternator controller 213 which may include a processorand a non-transitory computer-readable memory. Electrical power from thealternator 211 is provided to one or more inventers (e.g., inverter 215and inverter 217) which convert the AC power from the alternator 211 toDC power that can be utilized by one or more electric devices mounted onthe header 22. The operation of each inverter 215, 217 is controlled byan inverter controller 219, 221, respectively. In some implementations,electrical power from the inverter 215 (or inverter 217 or both) isstored to a battery 222 positioned on the header 22. Electrical powerfrom the battery 222 can then be used to power the electric devices ofthe header 22 when the backshaft 101 is not rotating and can be used tosmooth the power supplied to the electric devices to account forvariations in electric power provided by the alternator (for example,due to varying speeds of the backshaft).

The type of electric device mounted on the header 22 may vary inimplementations. However, the example of FIG. 2 includes one or morelights 223 mounted on the header 22, one or more rotational electricmotors 225, and one or more linear electric motors 227. The electriclights 223 can be positioned along the housing of the header 22 toimprove the operator's view of the fields particularly during nighttimeharvesting. In some implementations, the rotating drum 58 can be poweredby an electric motor 225 and, as such, the system illustrated in FIG. 2can be used to retrofit a new electrically-powered rotating drum header22 on a combine harvester 10 that is still configured with a backshaft101 to transfer mechanical power.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of another type of header. In thisexample, the combine harvester 301 is equipped with a corn header 303.This header 301 is wider and, in order to facilitate improved mobilityand easier storage, the outer arms 305, 307 of the header 303 can beraised by a lift element 309, 311, respectively, until they arepositioned at 90-degree angles relative to the center portion of theheader 303. In some implementations, the lift elements 309, 311 includean electric motor 227 that is powered by an alternator 211 coupled tothe backshaft 101.

Returning now to FIG. 2, in some implementations, the operation of oneor more of the electric devices of the header 22 are controlled by aheader controller 229. The header controller 229 can be communicativelylinked to the main combine controller 203 through the data coupling 103positioned on the feederhouse 18. As such, an operator sitting in thecab 26 can operate a user interface control (not pictures) positioned inthe cab to, for example, turn on the header lights 223 or adjust thespeed/operation of the rotation motor 225 or the linear motor 227. Insuch cases, a signal from the user interface control is provided to themain combine controller 203 which relays a control instruction throughthe data coupling 103 to the header controller 229. The headercontroller 229 then operates the electric device based on the receivedcontrol instruction.

It is noted that, although FIG. 2 illustrates multiple controllerspositioned on the header (e.g., an alternator controller 213, a firstinverter controller 219, a second inverter controller 221, and a headercontroller 229), other implementations may include more, fewer, ordifferent controllers. For example, a header 22 may be equipped withonly a single header controller 229 which receives control instructionsfrom the main combine controller 203 and operates the alternator 211,all inverters 215, 217, and any electrical devices.

Furthermore, although the examples illustrated above show a datacoupling 103 that is physically mounted on the feederhouse of thecombine and uses a cable to transfer data signals from the combinecontroller 203 to the header controller 229, other data couplings may beused in other implementations. For example, because the headercontroller 229 and the electrical devices on the header have a powersource on the header itself, in some implementations it is not necessaryto include a coupling that is capable of providing any electrical powerfrom the combine harvester to the header. As such, the data coupling103, in some implementations, may include a wireless transceiver forwireless receiving data signals and commands from the main combinecontroller 203. In some such implementations, no physical electricalcables are provided to couple the combine harvester to the header.

Finally, although the example of FIG. 2 illustrates a single alternator211 with two inverters 215, 217, other configurations are possible. Forexample, the alternator 211 can include a 12V automotive alternator thatcan be used to provide electrical power to relatively low-power devicessuch as light-emitting diode (LED)-type header lights 223 and the one ormore controllers of the header. In other implementations, such as theone illustrated in FIG. 2, the alternator 211 can include a dual-voltagealternator that is capable of providing up to 60V of power. Devices suchas LED header lights 223 are powered at the lower voltage level whilethe higher voltage level is used to drive higher-power electrical systemsuch as an electrical motor 225/227 driving a rotating drum, lifting theheader, or folding the arms of the header (see, e.g., FIG. 3).

Thus, the invention provides, among other things, a header power systemthat includes an alternator mechanically coupled to a backshaft toprovide an electrical power source for electrical devices mounted on theheader. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forthin the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electrical power system for a header of acombine harvester, the electrical power system comprising: an alternatormechanically coupled to a header backshaft, the header backshaft beingmechanically coupled to a drive mechanism of the combine harvester tocause rotation of the header backshaft; and a power supply circuitconfigured to transfer electrical power from the alternator to one ormore electric devices mounted on the header.
 2. The electrical powersystem of claim 1, wherein the power supply circuit includes an inverterconfigured to convert AC power from the alternator to DC power that isprovided to the one or more electric devices mounted on the header. 3.The electrical power system of claim 1, further comprising a batterymounted to the header, and wherein the power supply circuit isconfigured to charge the battery by transferring electrical power fromthe alternator to the battery and to smooth electrical power provided tothe one or more electric devices by controllably supplementingelectrical power from the alternator with stored electrical power fromthe battery.
 4. The electrical power system of claim 1, furthercomprising a plurality of LED lamps mounted on the header, and whereinthe power supply circuit is configured to transfer electrical power fromthe alternator to the one or more electric devices by transferringelectrical power to each LED lamp of the plurality of LED lamps.
 5. Theelectrical power system of claim 1, further comprising a headercontroller mounted on the header and coupled to the alternator toreceive electrical power from the alternator, wherein the headercontroller is configured to control the operation of at least oneelectric device of the one or more electric devices.
 6. The electricalpower system of claim 1, wherein the alternator includes a dual-voltagealternator system, and wherein the power supply circuit is configured toprovide electrical power to a first electric device at a first voltageand to provide electrical power to a second electric device at a secondvoltage.
 7. The electrical power system of claim 6, wherein the firstvoltage is greater than the second voltage, wherein the first electricdevice is a high-powered electric device, and wherein the secondelectric device is a low-powered electric device.
 8. The electricalpower system of claim 7, wherein the first electric device includes anelectric motor.
 9. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein theelectric motor is configured to cause rotation of a rotating drum of theheader.
 10. The electrical power system of claim 8, wherein the electricmotor is configured to adjust a height of the header relative to thecombine.
 11. The electrical power system of claim 7, wherein the secondelectric device includes a lamp mounted on the header.
 12. A method ofproviding power to an electric device mounted on a header of a combineharvester, the method comprising: rotating a header backshaft, theheader backshaft being mechanically coupled to a drive mechanism of thecombine harvester to cause rotation of the header backshaft; generatingelectrical power by an alternator positioned on the header andmechanically coupled to the header backshaft, wherein rotation of theheader backshaft is converted to electrical power by the alternator; andtransferring the electrical power from the alternator to one or moreelectric devices mounted on the header using a power supply circuit. 13.The method of claim 12, further comprising converting AC power from thealternator to DC power that is provided to the one or more electricdevice mounted on the header using an inverter of the power supplycircuit.
 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising: charging abattery positioned on the header by transferring electrical power fromthe alternator to the batter; and smoothing the electrical powerprovided to the one or more electrical devices by controllablysupplementing electrical power form the alternator with storedelectrical power from the battery using the power supply circuit. 15.The method of claim 12, wherein transferring the electrical power fromthe alternator to the one or more electric devices includes transferringthe electrical power from the alternator to a plurality of LED lampsmounted on the header.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein generatingelectrical power by the alternator positioned on the header andmechanically coupled to the header backshaft includes generatingelectrical power at a first voltage and generating electrical power at asecond voltage, the first voltage being greater than the second voltage.17. The method of claim 16, wherein transferring electrical power fromthe alternator to the one or more electric devices includes:transferring the electrical power at the first voltage to a high-poweredelectric device; and simultaneously transferring the electrical power atthe second voltage to a low-powered electric device.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, wherein the first electric device includes an electric motorcoupled to a rotating drum of the header, the method further comprising:operating the electric motor using the electrical power from thealternator at the first voltage to control rotation of the rotating drumof the header.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the first electricdevice includes an electric motor configured to adjust a height of theheader relative to the combine harvester, the method further comprising:operating the electric motor using the electrical power from thealternator at the first voltage to adjust the height of the header. 20.The method of claim 17, wherein the second electric device includes aplurality of LED lamps, the method further comprising: controllablyoperating the plurality of LED lamps using the electrical power from thealternator at the second voltage.